Ben Shelton kicks off 2024 US Open with win in straight sets

Former Florida tennis star Ben Shelton announced himself as the next great American in tennis this time last year with a surprise run to the semifinals of one of the US Open — one of the sport’s four majors.

It vaulted him up the ATP men’s rankings and earned him an endorsement from tennis legend Roger Federer. But that was last year.

Shelton is back in New York this week to try and repeat his semifinal run. Winning the whole thing is, of course, the goal, but Grand Slam events feature the very best of the best. Unlike ATP 1000 events — the next largest tournaments in professional tennis — majors require three-set wins to claim a match.

Winning seven straight to emerge on top of a field of 128 is already hard enough. Adding in an extra set or two each match means fatigue is an even bigger part of the game than usual.

It’s a good thing that Shelton made quick work of his first-round opponent, then. Shelton won in straight sets — 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 — against Austrian Dominic Thiem, who won the event back in 2020.

Thiem is actually the better story here, but we only care about Gators on this site. He finally got his roses in front of a full crowd, and it marks the end of Thiem’s grand slam career. Injuries have hampered him over the past few years, and he’s made it known he plans to call it quits at the end of the season.

Now back to Shelton.

The young lefty leaned on his power serve all afternoon. He beat Thiem in the second round last year en route to the semis, so this was a case of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The former Gators was humble in victory and praised Thiem’s resilience after the match.

“Obviously, I have been out here a couple years now, and he’s kind of been in and out playing tournaments and not playing tournaments,” Shelton said. “So you hate to see a guy like that, such a nice guy, great player, go through the injuries and deal with all that he’s dealt with.”

Shelton’s in the middle of his prime, but it has to be a stark reminder that nothing can be taken for granted in the world of professional sports.

“I think if I learn anything from him, it’s that this is a game that is unforgiving,” he said. “Things can change quick. You can be at the top of the game, and your body doesn’t hold up or some freak accident happens. Injuries happen all the time. So tennis isn’t forever. I think that’s one thing to learn and take away. Obviously still had a career that a lot of people dream about.”

Ben Shelton’s Round 2 Matchup at US Open

Next up for Shelton is 36-year-old Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Shelton leads the head-to-head series, two to one, and is the better player on hard court. He’s also spent less time on the court this week — Bautista needed 3 hours and 16 minutes of play to advance to the second round.

Fans can find full coverage of the US Open on ESPN+ with a subscription. Select matches are aired on ESPN’s main cable channel.

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